TENNESSEE GREEN STAR PARTNERSHIP

MEMBER HIGHLIGHT

M A Y 2 0 2 1

Promote the state-wide adoption of waste reduction and recycling.Provide recycling information and education.Partner with companies, industries, and people to address wasteissues in the state.

The Tennessee Recycling Coalition (TRC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profitorganization dedicated to promoting recycling and sustainablematerials management practices in Tennessee. TRC’s membership iscomprised of a coalition of industries, companies, and individualsnetworked together to educate and encourage recycling in Tennessee.Recycling further enhances the personal wealth of all Tennesseansthrough cost avoidance of landfill tipping fee charges. Ultimately, it alsoprotects the environment by keeping the materials out of the landfill.TRC’s goal is to provide a platform where experts in waste management,recycling, and sustainability from across the state can connect withgovernment and industries to share ideas and knowledge on betterways to manage materials. TRC works in partnership with the local,state, and federal governments to provide resources, education, andoutreach to endorse the recycling message.

The mission of TRC is to:

Currently, the TRC Board of Directors is made up of 12 board members,who represent all facets of the recycling industry. The variety ofexpertise and recycling know-how that the board contains is beneficialto anyone that has questions about recycling in the state. Starting in2021, the TRC board hired an Executive Director to propel them into thenext level of executing their mission. TRC’s Executive Director, BeckyCaldwell, is a nationally recognized expert in the field of solid wasteresource management and solutions. The current President is LincolnYoung, the owner of Rockwood Sustainable Solutions.

Starting in 2020, the Coalition began hosting educational webinars thatbring experts together in a virtual, seminar-style classroom to teach theaudience about recycling programs and innovations. Often, thesetrainings also provide information relating to different recycling optionsbeyond the big three commodities (metal, cardboard, and plastic).Typically, there is a webinar every quarter and they are free to all TRCmembers.

Established 1990

Made up of:An Executive Director12 Board MembersVarious Sponsors andMembers

TRC Website Link 

By: Caleb Powell

FEATURED THISMONTH

The Board of Directors attheir annual meetings.

“The key to survival in this market is the generator of the recycled commodity must seethemselves as a supplier. They are creating a product for purchase from a buyer. They haveto turn the switch in their mind from an entity that is packaging trash to a supplier that is

making a product.” – Lincoln Young, TRC President

The Tennessee Green Star Partnership (TGSP) is a voluntaryenvironmental leadership program designed to recognizeindustries in the state that are committed to sustainablepractices. TGSP and TRC work very closely to find solutions forhard-to-recycle materials in the manufacturing sector. If youare interested in joining other sustainable industries inTennessee by becoming a member, please contact us.

If you have a success story for hard-to-recycle materials or experience with zero-waste that you would like topresent on, please contact TRC to suggest an upcoming webinar. The webinar registration and previousrecordings can be found on the Upcoming Events section of their website.

TRC’s premier event is an annual conference that brings the recycling sector together for informative sessionsfeaturing dynamic speakers that highlight up-to-date trends, legislative announcements, and allow fornetworking opportunities. They have recently partnered with the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce andIndustry to establish a joint conference. This partnership brings more networking and state-wide collaborationto the recycling sector than ever before between industries and companies with like recycling issues.

Recognition is a powerful thing. Each year, TRC gives out the sought-after Recycler of the Year Awards. TRC'sRecycler of the Year Awards recognize individuals, governments, organizations, schools, and businesses in theState of Tennessee that have demonstrated a commitment and outstanding achievement to waste preventionand recycling. Historically, there have been many Tennessee Green Star Partners (TGSP) that have received anaward in one of the categories. The winners are generally announced at the annual conference during a formalawards dinner. The categories for the awards are:

Business Recycler of the Year Government Recycler of the Year School (K-12) Recycler of the Year Higher Education Recycler of the Year Non-Profit Recycler of the Year Tom Hattle Memorial Award of the Year Video Entry Award of the Year Innovator of the Year

If you have questions about becoming a member of TRC or would like recycling help from one of the Board ofDirectors, please reach out to Caleb Powell, caleb.powell@tn.gov.

The Tennessee Materials Marketplace is a collaboration between industries, facilitated by an interactiveonline materials exchange, to recycle, repurpose, and return material discards back to Tennessee’s economy.TRC has been a major advocate of the marketplace and continues to assist with its success.